FIRST CERTIFICATE STRUCTURES - part 1

a) Simple past – present perfect – past perfect

It is my first visit to Italy.

NEVER
I have never been to Italy before. (if the original sentence is in PRESENT, we change to
PRESENT PERFECT)

This is my first time eating sushi

NEVER
I have never eaten sushi before

It is ages since I last saw Susan.

FOR
I haven't seen Susan for ages.

It is ages since she last went to the cinema

FOR
She hasn’t been to the cinema for ages.

It was my first visit to Italy.

NEVER
I had never been to Italy before (if the original sentence is in PAST , we change to PAST
PERFECT.)

It has been three years since I started to work here.

Or It is three years since I started to work here.
WORKING
I have been working here for three years.

I started to study French five months ago.

STUDYING
I have been studying French for five months.

I met Paul ten years ago.

FOR
I have known Paul for ten years. (with the verb MEET I need to change to the verb
KNOW)

She bought this house three months ago. (with the verb GET or BUY, we need to
change to the verb HAVE)
HAD
She has had this house for three months.

b) Conditionals

Second conditional– past + would base verb

I do not have enough free time, I can´t take up any hobbies.
WOULD
If I had enough free time, I would take up a hobby.

I cannot pay the rent, I am broke.

WEREN’T
I would pay the rent if I weren´t broke.

Third conditional – had PP + would have PP

She did not study and failed her entrance test.
HAVE
If she had studied, she would have passed the test. (

IMPORTANT NOTE: If only can replace the IF at beginning of the conditional type 3.
Examples:
If they had studied, they would have passed the test.
If only they had studied, they would have passed the test)

They said bad words and were expelled from the class.
BEEN
If they had not said bad words, they would not have been expelled from the class.
(same as above)

c) Preferences – personal and about somebody else

Personal
I would prefer to eat sushi (would prefer TO DO something)
RATHER
I would rather eat sushi (would rather DO something)

About somebody else

I want him to help more at home.
PREFER
I would prefer him to help more at home. (would prefer SB TO DO something)
RATHER
I would rather he helped more at home. (would rather SB SIMPLE PAST- I would rather
he did/ he ate / he went , etc)

d) Wishes (Important: I wish or If only are used in the same way)

I would like to have a car

HAD
I wish I had a car. (I wish I had // I wish I could // I wish I were – simple past verb is
needed)

I would like to speak several languages

SPEAK
I wish I could speak several languages. (same as above)

I missed the bus and was late.

HAD
I wish I had not missed the bus. (past situation – regrets: I wish I had done / I wish I had
studied, etc)

You are always swearing.

WOULDN’T
I wish you wouldn´t say so many bad words. (you complain about somebody else's
negative habits “ I wish you would // I wish you wouldn't …..)

e) MODAL VERBS (may – might – should – must, etc)

Possibility – MAY OR MIGHT

It is possible that she is lost
BE
She may be lost (with the word possible in the present time – MAY +VERB)

It is possible that she has lost her way.

HAVE
She may have lost her way. (with the word possible but referring to a past action MAY
+ HAVE + PP)

Mental deduction – MUST (for affirmative) or CAN´T (for the negative)

I am certain // I am sure that she can sing very well
SING
She must sing very well. (with the word SURE - CERTAIN or POSITIVE, I EXPECT you
need to use MUST + infinitive when the mental deduction is about a present action)

I am certain that she is not a good cook.

BE
She can't be a good cook.

I am certain that they missed the train.

MISSED
They must have missed the train. (with the word SURE - CERTAIN or POSITIVE- I EXPECT
- you need MUST HAVE PP when the deduction is about something in the past)

I am sure that they did not miss the train.

MISSED
They can't have missed the train.

GIVING ADVICE (should or shouldn't + infinitive) and (should have or shouldn't have
+ pp)

If I were you I would give up smoking.

NOT
You should not smoke more.

It is a good idea to look up the words you do not know

LOOK UP
You should look up the words that you do not know.

It is bad to be rude to the elderly.

BE
You shouldn't be rude to the elderly.

It was a bad idea to buy a second-hand car.

HAVE
I shouldn't have bought a second-hand car
I did not study enough and I failed the test.
HAVE
I should have studied more.

f) TOO – ENOUGH

This exercise is too difficult to solve.

ENOUGH
This exercise is not easy enough to solve.

The queue was too long so I decided to leave.

ENOUGH
The queue was not short enough so I decided to leave.

There are not enough chairs and there are many children to be seated
TOO
There are too many children and not enough chairs.

g) SO – SUCH

The book was so long that I did not finish reading it.
SUCH
It was such a long book that I did not finish reading it.

Patterns:
SO + ADJECTIVE (so long / so hard / so difficult / so expensive THAT…..
SUCH + A or AN or - + noun THAT……. Check the examples:

It is/was such A difficult book that ….. (a + adjective that starts with consonant)
It is/was such AN easy test that …. (an + adjective that starts with a vowel..)
It is/was such – hard weather that … (nothing + adjective + uncountable noun )
It is/was such - naught children that …. (nothing + adjective + plural noun

h) Have/get something done

I am going to call someone to paint the walls.

I am going to have/get the walls painted

Someone is repairing the gate for me.

I am having the gate repaired.

IMPORTANT: you use GET/ HAVE in the same tense of the sentence + THE OBJECT +
PP of the verb
I get/have
I am getting/ am having
I got/had the walls PAINTED
I was getting /was having the grass CUT
I will get / will have the clock REPAIRED
I have just got / have just had the rooms DONE or any verb in the PP
I must get / must have
Etc etc

i) Although / even though Despite /in spite of

In spite of/ despite + noun or ING /// the fact that…

Although it was raining, they went out

They went out in spite of the rain /// despite the rain

Even though Tom has a lot of money, he is always sad

Tom is always sad despite having a lot of money // in spite of having a lot of money
Tom is always sad despite the fact he has a lot of money

j) Miscellaneous patterns

In order to do sth

She tidied the room because she wanted to please her mom.
ORDER
She tidied her room in order to please her mom.

As long as

You can go out if you finish your work before 5.

LONG
You can go out as long as you finish your work before 5.

In case Take an umbrella, it may rain.

Take an umbrella in case it rains

On the point of doing sth / about to do sth

She was about to leave when it began to rain.

POINT
She was on the point of leaving when it began to rain.

In the mood to do sth

She was not feeling ok to go out.

MOOD
She was not in the mood to go out.
Have difficult in doing sth She did not know which car to choose.
She had difficulty in choosing a car.

k) ING

Look forward to doing sth (important to remember the ING)

I am eager to travel to London

FORWARD
I look forward to travelling to London

DENY + ING

I did not steal that

She denied stealing….

ACCUSE SB OF DOING STH

You took my chocolate
She accused Jack of taking her chocolate

APOLOGISE FOR ING

Sorry I am late
She apologized for being late

l) Verb + to infinitive

Don´t forget to buy bread

REMINDED
She reminded me to buy bread

You should not smoke so much

ADVISED
He advised me not to smoke so much.

I will do my best
PROMISED
She promised to do her best

I will kill you if you don´t help me.

THREATENED
He threatened to kill me if I didn´t help.